(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city will begin requiring proof of coronavirus vaccination at restaurants, bars, gyms and many other indoor venues.
The new mandate takes effect Jan. 3. Proof of vaccination will be required of anyone 5 or older before they can dine or drink indoors, exercise at gyms or attend entertainment venues where food or drinks are served, such as movie theaters.
Lightfoot’s Tuesday announcement comes as the city is grappling with a surge in coronavirus cases.
"New steps must be taken to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents. This public health order requiring proof of vaccination to visit certain indoor public places is a necessary measure to ensure we can continue to enjoy our city's many amenities as we enter the new year," the mayor said in a news release.
Doug Roth, founder and president of Playground Hospitality in Chicago, said the city's new mandate will strain an already tight labor supply.
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“Restaurants are going to be putting on more labor — even though there is not a lot more labor to put on — in order to monitor or police this situation," he told WBBM Newsradio.
People 16 and over will also need to provide identification that matches their vaccination record, the Lightfoot Administration said. Among the indoor settings exempt from the proof-of-vaccination requirement are schools, churches and supermarkets. Lightfoot added that people ordering and picking up food at bars or restaurants likewise are not obligated to show proof of vaccination.
A citywide indoor mask mandate remains in effect for places the public gather.
Illinois reported about 12,330 new COVID-19 cases, which is the highest daily total in more than a year. Much of that increase has been driven by the Omicron variant, prompting fears of a winter surge.
Under the city's new public health order, employers must ensure that unvaccinated workers at indoor venues continue to wear masks while interacting with patrons and provide proof of a weekly negative COVID-19 test.
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